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HotMail/Yahoo + Lots of users sending email = tricky qmail config :-)

D

DeanW

Guest
I sell an email list management/sending script (http://listmailpro.com). I run 3 Plesk servers with a number of clients all sending opt-in list email to a few thousand or, in a few cases, over 100,000 members.

As is the case on shared servers (I often find myself saying..) the actions of a few bad users can affect deliverability for everyone on the server. This has become a problem for some of my clients now that Yahoo and HotMail are beginning to have had enough (I've even lost several clients already, so less is being sent... Of course, Yahoo and HotMail don't think to provide a feedback loop I can use to automatically remove complaining users (by processing the returned email and 'clicking' the remove link) like I can with AOL :D... )

Back to the point. What I'd *love* to be able to do is set up a dedicated IP for all email sent from EACH client for both SMTP and PHP. This was recommended by Yahoo, but I haven't seen it in a shared environment, especially not alongside easy to use management software like PSA.

So what all needs to be done?

1. I'll need a new qmail service running on a separate IP for EACH client. I might run up to 10 services per server with a concurrencyremote of 100? each... This might speed up queue processing too in the event of a backlog (HotMail :mad: )

2. I'll need to configure PHP mail for each user to use their qmail server/IP.

3. I'll need to restrict access to any other server than their own. Would this be possible with Plesk mail accounts, too? This isn't as important, but some *** could send spam through Outlook even though they're hosting with me and using my script, effectively tarnishing the reputation of the 'main' server IP...

*** If I could create this or you can help me create this, including sustainability (qmail updates, etc.), I know I can attract a large number of clients, most with small opt-in lists, for at least $25/mo. 10 per server and that's nearly $200/mo profit. 15-20 might work with a more powerful server. :)

I must be dreaming? :rolleyes:

DW
 
Qmail 'out of the box' is not designed to be able to select an IP for different domains, it uses the primary server IP (generally eth0) for all domains on a linux box.

I seem to remember there may be some patch for Qmail to allow this, you'd have to research it (Google, qmail.org, qmailrocks, etc). The problem with that is that you'd have to start out with the standard sources for Qmail, then patch/recompile the source and hope you made all the Plesk specific changes to the source files as well.

Not impossible, but not what I would consider to be a fun evening project.... I'd rather be out bar hopping..... :)

You may want to check in with the Virtuozzo support to see if "IP per domain" is possible on a virtual server.

For my clients who have higher email requirements, I sell them a dedicated box and dedicated IP, of course at a higher monthly price. Then the risk is all theirs.
 
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